heating oil

Heating oil is one of the most well-known water-hazardous substances (see also Handling Water-Hazardous Substances). Heating oil consumer systems can be found in commercial, private, and public areas. The operator of a heating oil consumer system must commission, operate, and decommission their system in compliance with the regulations of the Ordinance on Systems for Handling Water-Hazardous Substances dated April 18, 2017 - AwSV.

This includes the operator ensuring that mandatory inspections by experts are carried out on time. Examples of heating oil consumer systems that must be inspected by an expert:

• Above-ground heating oil consumer systems outside water protection areas: for commissioning and significant modifications larger than 1 m³, recurring inspections every 5 years for systems larger than 10 m³, and for decommissioning systems larger than 10 m³

• Underground heating oil consumer systems: independent of size, for commissioning, significant modifications, recurring inspections every 5 years, and for decommissioning.

This also includes permanently attaching the leaflet on operational and behavioral regulations in a clearly visible location near the system.

Special expert inspection obligations apply to heating oil consumer systems in water protection areas.

Work on heating oil consumer systems may generally only be carried out by specialist companies specifically approved under water law.

Additionally, heating oil tanks in legally designated flood areas must be additionally secured. If existing heating oil storage tanks in flood areas do not meet these legal requirements, they must be retrofitted by January 5, 2023.